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Installing OpenVAS on Kali in 2020

This article explains how to install OpenVAS on Kali Linux. The difference between this method and others is the switch from “openvas” to “gvm” for naming/marketing. As you might have seen, I’ve written several articles on installing and using OpenVAS on CentOS. Don’t do it. Don’t go through the pain needed to get OpenVAS working stably on CentOS or anything RPM based. Skip it and use Kali Linux. Don’t get me wrong, I prefer CentOS/Fedora/RHEL for everything else, but not OpenVAS. Having just installed Kali Linux, do the following:

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
apt-get install gvm*

Now run the setup program. Go have a coffee because this takes a long time – even with a good Internet connection:

gvm-setup

Open the firewall allowing remote access to your new OpenVAS installation/server. Obviously this is optional and assumes you’re using your OpenVAS system as a “server” on some remote system as apposed to on your local workstation.

apt-get install ufw
ufw enable
ufw allow 80
ufw allow 9392

Start OpenVAS and access it on the local host “127.0.0.1”:

gvm-start

Start using OpenVAS as you normally would.